Environment or economy? Individual and country-level predictors: an international comparative analysis

This study aims to examine the individual and country-level determinants of individuals' preferences between environmental protection and economic growth within an international comparative framework. Conducted across 66 countries as part of the 7th Wave of the World Values Survey (WVS), the study is based on a sample of 86,532 individuals who provided valid responses to item Q111. The variables identified were, at the individual level, education, gender, age, income and place of residence; and at the country level, GDP per capita, duration of compulsory education, expenditure on education and CO₂ emissions. The study's data were analyzed using weighted logistic regression models incorporating country fixed effects. The findings of the study indicate that the strongest individual factor increasing an individual's likelihood of prioritizing the environment is level of education; women exhibit higher environmental preferences than men, and younger people exhibit higher environmental preferences than older people. Individual income level and urban residence, on the other hand, are negatively associated with environmental prioritization. At the country level, per capita GDP, education expenditure and the duration of compulsory education are positive predictors of environmental prioritization, while CO₂ emissions are a negative predictor.